Flirting With Danger
by Qwistie
Summary: You, the reader, are thrown into the action as a mysterious man appears in your driveway and asks you for help.
1. The Arrival

It is well into the evening when you finally turn down your dimly lit street. Stifling a yawn, you reach to turn your radio down. Most of the neighbors have been asleep for a couple of hours at this point. Even the animals are quietly slumbering. You turn your headlights off as you pull into the driveway. All the windows in the house are dark. Of course everyone has gone to sleep already. The only "night owl" in the household is you. You gather your things on the passenger seat. You then get out of the car and gently shut the door as to not disturb anyone. Your keys jingle as you slide them into the deadbolt of the front door. You step inside, lock the door behind you and tiptoe quietly to your room. It's dark so you try not to trip over anything. You reach out and use the wall to guide you. Once in your room, you collapse on your bed, exhausted. What a day. Sleep would be glorious. You stealthily slip into the bathroom, using your cell phone to light the way. You close the door and grab your toothbrush. You stare at yourself in the partial darkness as you brush your teeth. You throw some water on your face, change into your shorts and t-shirt and quietly make your way back to your room. You crawl into the cold bed and pull the covers over you. You are out in a manner of minutes.

You are awakened by a dull thud. You rush to the window, but see nothing. It's still dark outside. What could have made that noise? You decide to take a closer look. You grab a jacket and some flip flops before quietly opening the front door. You cautiously poke your head out the door.

"Hello?" you whisper, "Is anyone there?"

Upon hearing no response, you step out onto the porch. Looking around, you see nothing out of the ordinary. Just cars, pavement, trees and shrubs. You look up. The sky is unusually clear tonight. It was not only a deep blue, but the stars were shining bigger and brighter than you had ever seen. Amazed, you step off the porch into the driveway to get a better look. The stars seemed to paint the sky. It was so beautiful. You zip up your coat, feeling a bit chilled. It was cold for this time of year. When you finally snap out of your trance, you decide to check around your car. You hold your lit cell phone up to inspect the area. Everything seems normal as you circle your car. As normal as a suburb gets. You turn to walk back to the house when you hear a startling noise. You look around and see nothing. What is going on? Then you look up. You gasp. There's a huge gaping hole...in the sky! A turquoise ring swirls around the hole. You back up onto the porch, terrified and yet insanely curious of what would happen next. The space inside the ring seemed to have a whole other set of stars...and planets. Giant colorful planets like nothing you have ever seen. A giant pillar of light suddenly descends from the sky onto the tip of your driveway. There is a sudden gust of wind that almost knocks you over. You brace yourself against the door. You can't believe this is happening. You wonder if any of the neighbors are seeing and hearing this. You look around to see if anyone had come to their door or at least their window. There isn't a soul in sight. You turn back to look at the pillar of light, but it has vanished, leaving nothing but smoke and...you can't make out what else. A shadow. You edge closer to where the light was. You look up at the sky and notice that the ring and the hole are gone as well. Did you dream it? Maybe you are dreaming now. You spot the shadow moving out of the corner of your eye. Or is it someone? Your heart beats faster. It definitely looks like a person. You grip your cell phone tighter, prepared to use it to call for help if necessary. The shadowy figure looked as if they were crouching. You inch closer and closer. You hold your breath, hoping that you aren't in any immediate danger.

"H-h-hello?" you stammer, ready to run if necessary.

The figure stands up and slowly walks towards you. You freeze in your tracks. The figure steps into the light. It is a man. He stands there staring at you with his piercing blue eyes.

"Hello there, young lady," the man says softly, "I need your help."


	2. The Plan

You stand there dumbfounded, examining the haggard man. From what you could tell, he was dressed in strange, but interesting clothing. He wore an exquisite, long, black leather coat with dark green lining that went down to his ankles. He wore black leather pants and boots as well. His black, shoulder length hair is pushed back and flipped outward. You are especially intrigued by the scepter he is holding. It has a golden shimmer and there is a glowing blue orb nestled near it's pointy tip. You suddenly realize that you are staring.

"My help?" you finally reply.  
You wouldn't have believed him if you had been in a room full of people. You would have assumed that he was talking to someone next to or behind you. Even now, you are skeptical.

"Yes," he states, looking around, "I seem to have ended up in the wrong location."  
He seems to be genuinely confused so you decide to at least point him in the right direction.

"Right. So, uh, where do you need to go?"

"I believe my destination lies south of here."

"Here," you hold up your cell phone, "I have a map on here."  
You quickly pull it up and show it to him.

"Ah!" he points to your phone, "This is where I need to go."

"That's not too far from here. Do you have someone who can drive you or...?"

"If you mean transportation, I have none." He leans the scepter towards you.

"Well, I'm pretty tired but I could drive you there. I can always stop and nap if I need to."  
You were still a bit uncertain but you felt bad leaving this man, who clearly doesn't know where he is, to find his own way.

"Splendid." he replies grinning. He pulls the scepter away from you. You wonder what he was planning on doing with it.

"I'll unlock the car for you. I'll be right back."  
You press the button on your key. He seems intrigued by this. You quickly run back inside the house to gather some things. You pull open the bathroom drawer and grab a zip-lock full of items. You are always prepared in case you have to go somewhere on short notice. You throw the zip-lock in a bag containing some extra clothes, just in case. You change into some jeans and tennis shoes and head out the door, after leaving a brief note on the kitchen table. You lock the door behind you and notice that the man is circling your car.

"Is something wrong?" you ask, wondering why he hasn't gotten in the car yet.

"Oh, I was just...inspecting your vehicle." he says quickly.  
You open the passenger door and walk back around to the driver's side. You sit behind the wheel and strap yourself in. He cautiously follows suit, closing the passenger door after he is seated. He looks around at the interior.

"You act like you've never seen a car before..." you joke.

"I haven't been in a...car...for a long time." he nervously replies.  
Was this guy serious? He has to be joking right?

"Hey, you can put your...scepter in the backseat with my stuff if you want."  
He nods, reaches back and carefully places the scepter on the back seat as you start your car. He seems to jump when you turn the key. That's odd. You notice him fumbling with the seat belt.

"Here." you reach over, pull the seat belt out and click it into place.

"Thank you." he says very quietly.  
You pull out of the driveway and turn your headlights on. You drive for a few minutes in silence. The roads are completely empty and you can hear the street lights humming.

"So, why do you have to go to this place at 2 a.m.?" you suddenly ask, glancing at the clock on your dashboard.

He thinks for a moment and then replies, "They have something I need."

"Must be something pretty important."

"It is." he says, smirking.

"Well, you're in luck. It shouldn't take us that long to get there, traffic is light."  
He chuckles. Before you can ask what he is laughing about, you look in the rear view mirror and notice a black car with dark, tinted windows following you. This can't be good.

"Uh oh. We have company."

"Just keep driving." He figures out how to undo his seat belt and reaches back for his scepter.

"What are you doing? Who are these people?" you exclaim, becoming frightened.  
You had no idea what that scepter could do!

"Just drive. I will take care of them." he says calmly.  
You turn your eyes back to the road and wonder what you have gotten yourself into.


	3. Road Trip

You take a deep breath and step on the accelerator. You have gone over the speed limit on several occasions, but this time you are really pushing it. Out of the corner of your eye you see the man fumbling around, probably trying to roll down the window.

"How about the sun roof?" you ask.

"That is a splendid idea." he grins.  
You hold the steering wheel tight and reach for the button for the sun roof with your other hand. At this speed, any sudden movement would spin the car out of control. You quickly get the sun roof open and grasp the wheel again with both hands. The man crouches on his seat, looking around, contemplating about how to accomplish his plan.

"Try putting one foot on your seat and the other on mine." you suggest.  
He nods and starts to situate himself. As you scoot over to make room, you feel his foot pressing against the outside of your leg. He peers out of the roof, scepter in hand. You've lost count of how many yellow and red lights you've run at this point. You sincerely hope that no cops are patrolling the area. Even though they are the least of your worries. You feel him move suddenly and a loud noise follows. You quickly look in your side mirror. All you can see is a blinding blue light. You try your best to concentrate on driving. The freeway is nearby. Once on it, it would only be a few hours until you reached your destination...you just had to get there. The sound of a gunshot startles you.

"Oh great. You pissed them off didn't you?"

"I may have." He says, ducking back into the car to avoid incoming fire.

"Dammit!" you exclaim as your driver side mirror shatters from a stray bullet.  
You feel the car jolt forward. The man is thrown backward into the middle of your dashboard.

"Are you ok?" you quickly glance over at him.

"I am alright." he struggles to regain his balance as your car jolts forward again. They sure are persistent.

"Here," you nervously hold out your hand, "take my hand and boost yourself back up."  
You assume he would ignore your offer to help, but he suddenly leans forward and reaches for your hand. You feel his long, smooth fingers tighten around your hand as he lifts himself back up to the opening. Your heart skips a beat. He re-situates himself and peers out of the opening once more. The blinding blue light fills the air again. You hear a loud crackle and then a boom.

"I took care of them." he says, climbing back into the car and strapping in.

"It's about time." you say sarcastically, taking your foot off the gas a bit.  
You look in your rear view mirror and see the damaged car sitting in the middle of the street. Two men scramble from the smoking vehicle. The man says nothing as he puts the scepter behind his seat. You wonder what else the scepter is capable of.

"I was just trying to be funny." you explain as he stares blankly at you. "You know, humor?"

"Ah. I am unfamiliar with Midgardian humor."

"Right. Well, you can explain yourself later. You look tired."

"I need not sleep." he stated.

"Well, take this," you reach back, keeping your eyes on the road, and grab a blanket. You toss it on his lap. "in case you start to feel drowsy."

"That is kind of you." he replies.

"No problem."  
You turn your eyes back to the road, feeling very relieved that the fiasco was over.

* * *

You are amazed at how quiet the usually bustling freeway is. You check the the gas gauge, which is a little under full. Good thing you got gas recently. You look over and see the mysterious man dozing. You laugh to yourself. You knew he would get tired sooner or later. He didn't look as haggard as he did when he had come out of that portal. You still can't believe that happened just a couple hours ago. He suddenly jostled around, like he was trying to get comfortable. You take a closer look at him. He isn't bad looking, in fact, he is rather handsome. He suddenly stirs awake and you quickly look back at the road.

"Hey there." you say in a nonchalant tone, hiding your curiosity and excitement.

"I slept?" he seemed astonished.

"Well, it was more like a nap."

"How close are we to our destination?" He sits up and looks around at the landscape.

"Pretty close." you stifle yawn. "I'm pretty tired though so I'll probably stop at a nearby motel and take a nap. If that's ok with you."

"Whatever you think is best."

"Ok cool." you reply, "There should be one coming up soon."  
You drove in silence for a few minutes. He still seemed kind of out of it.

"So, who are you...and where are you from exactly?" you inquire, no longer able to contain your curiosity.

"I am Loki," he states proudly, "of Asgard!"

"Asgard?" you ponder for a moment. "Where is that exactly?"

"It is part of the nine realms."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." you can't believe what you are hearing. "Nine realms?"

"Yes. Midgard is a part of it."

"Midgard? As in Earth?"

"They are one in the same."

"Hm..." you think of the portal that he came out of. "So you travelled here from a different realm?"

"That is correct."

"Wow. That is quite the trip."

"Indeed."

"Well, Loki of Asgard," you turn and smile at him, "It's nice to meet you."  
Loki. You liked the sound of it.

"Likewise." he smiles back. You can't help but be mesmerized by his dazzling smile.

"Hey there's a motel!" you spot the glowing sign behind his head. You snap out of your trance and head for the next offramp. You scold yourself for zoning out...again. You pull into the parking lot and it seems pretty full. "Yikes. I hope there's a room available." you say, fiddling with your keys. "Stay here. I'll go have a look."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"I shouldn't be more than a couple minutes." you open your door, "I'll be right back."  
It is better that he stayed in the car. People might ask questions. You briskly walk to the lobby and open the door. It isn't too shabby. Hopefully the room is decent as well.

"I'd like a room please." you say politely.  
The lady behind the desk turns around to look at the room keys. Only a couple are left. She grabs the ones closest to her and places them on the counter in front of you. She tells you the amount for one night and you place the money on the counter.

"Thank you and have a nice stay."

"Thank you." you reply. You grab the key and head back to the car. You pull the passenger door open.

"Look what I got." you smirk as you dangle the key in front of Loki's face. You open the back door and grab your bag. You glance at the scepter. It couldn't be left in the car all night. "Hey, you should cover your scepter with the blanket and bring it along with us."

"Of course." he agreed as he began wrapping it.

"We're on the second floor." you say, leading the way. You arrive at the room and put the key in the door. The door sticks a little but you finally get it open. You both step inside.

"There's only one bed." you observe, looking around the room. There wasn't even a couch. This was going to be interesting.


	4. Sleepover

You try not to panic. You watch Loki as he strolls over to the other side of the room. He gently sets the scepter down on the floor by the bed.

"I claim this side." he says casually, plopping down on the bed.  
You couldn't believe this was happening. You were about to share a bed with an attractive stranger that you just met a few hours ago. You resolve to just go with the flow since exhaustion has finally caught up with you. You place your bag on the floor beside the bed and unzip it. Good thing you brought extra stuff. You grab your shorts, shirt and bathroom items.

"I assume you didn't bring pajamas?" you jest as you look over at Loki, who is laying comfortably with his arms behind his head.

"I told you, I need not sleep."

"Yeah, yeah I know."  
You wander into the bathroom to change. You close the door and put your small bag of items on the sink. You quickly brush your teeth and brush your hair so you don't look so disheveled. You look at yourself in the mirror. You could do this. A few minutes later you emerge in your shorts and shirt. You take a deep breath and walk confidently back to the bed. You prop up your pillow and lean against the headboard.

"Do Midgardians always wear such clothing when they retire for the evening?" He smirks as he glances over at your exposed legs.

"It's been warm. I'm not going to wear flannel am I?" You say defensively. You can feel your face getting hot.

"It was just a question." He sits up on the bed and then heads to the bathroom. You watch as he closes the door. Through the tiny crack, you can see him moving around. You hear the water turn on. Was he seriously going to shower now? You lean over on the bed, but you can't see anything. You decide to try and get comfy. You fluff your pillow and lie down. Of course now you can't sleep. After a few minutes, you decide to go find the TV remote. You look around the nightstand and the TV. It was probably behind the TV stand. You sigh and pry the stand away from the wall. Ah! There it is! You bend down to get it. You suddenly feel something wet touching your foot. Next thing you know, you are laying on the floor. You prop yourself up on your elbows. You see Loki lying facedown across your legs, wearing nothing but a dark green towel.

"May I ask what you were doing by the door?" he asks, turning to look at you. He proceeds to get up.

"I-I was searching for the TV remote," you stutter as his legs brush yours.

"You have good timing then." he jokes, smiling. Now standing, he holds his hand out. You place your hand in his and he pulls you up. You notice that he is tall and slender but muscular. You can't help but stare.

"Uh...thanks for helping me up." You let go of his hand and walk quickly to the bed. You climb under the covers. He sits on the bed with his back to you. You see a couple bruises, like he had been in a scuffle recently. You watch him run his fingers through his black hair before flipping over on your side. Your eyes suddenly feel heavy.

* * *

You wake up suddenly. It's completely dark in the room except for the faint moonlight streaming in through the window. Had he used some sort of spell on you to make you sleepy? You wouldn't put it past him. You stare at the ceiling and rub your eyes. You feel something pressing on your stomach. You look down and see that Loki is sprawled out on his stomach with his arm across you. Your heart skips a beat. You stare at him for a moment. He seems to be sleeping soundly.

"I need not sleep." you mutter, mimicking his voice. He had fallen asleep twice now.  
You roll on your side, facing him. He looks so peaceful with his hair tousled and spread across the pillow. You gently reach over and brush the hair out of his face. It is so soft. Your fingers linger as you touch his face. His pale skin is smooth. He suddenly stirs and you quickly pull your hand away as to not wake him. He turns on his side. His face is inches from yours. You can feel his breath on you. Your heart races as you close your eyes and lean in closer.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"  
You jump back, startled. Loki is staring at you with his piercing eyes and grinning.

"What the hell?" you sit up, mortified, "You were awake this WHOLE TIME?"

"I may have been." he replies, grinning wider.

"You have got to be kidding me..." you can feel your face growing hotter by the minute. You reach down and stealthily grab your pillow. You get on your knees and hit him in square in the face with it. His smile fades into a look of surprise as you go to hit him again. He sits up and grabs your wrists. The pillow falls out of your hands.

"Look, I am sorry if I startled you." he says with sincerity.

"You better be." You just couldn't stay mad at him.

"It was just a bit of fun really." he smirks.  
You stare at each other for a few moments, saying nothing. You could stare at him all day.

"So, I don't know if you Asgardians ever get hungry..." you say softly, breaking the silence.

"We do," he laughs, "and yes, I am a bit famished."

"Ah, good," you reply, "I'm starving!"

* * *

"I hope I don't regret this." you mutter, opening the door. The restaurant was bustling for 7 am. You can't remember the last time you were awake at this hour.

"Do you want me to-" Loki started.

"I'll take care of everything. Don't you fret." you say quickly. It would be better if you did all the talking. He looked around while waiting to be seated, which didn't take long. "Oh nice." you poke the seat, "I love booths."  
Loki bounces in his seat and you stifle a giggle. The waitress then brings over the menus. She explains the specials and combos and then leaves. You thumb through the menu and decide to get what you usually get. French toast. You see Loki sitting there, watching everything around him. He seems a bit on edge.

"Hey, did you decide what you want?"  
He snaps out of the trance he's in and slides the menu over to you, pointing.

"I have had this before." he grins, "It is rather good."

"I'd have to agree."  
The waitress returned at that moment.

"All ready?" she asks, cheerfully.

"Yes," you smile back, "I'll have french toast and he wants the pudding."

"Good choices." she says, scribbling it down. She grabs the menus and then wanders off to attend to another table. Loki goes back to looking around. He seems worried.

"Is something wrong?" you inquire after several minutes of silence. He leans in closer.

"See those men over there in black suits?" he asks in a hushed tone. You glance over cautiously. They keep looking in your direction.

"Who are they?"

"I will explain later," he says, "but we want to avoid them."  
You nod. The waitress returns again, this time with the food. You can't help but grin at the bowl of pudding with whipped cream.

"Thank you." you say to her as she places the french toast in front of you.

"Yes, thank you." Loki chimes in excitedly. He grabs his spoon. The waitress smiles as she walks away.

"What? No sprinkles? What kind of place is this?" you joke.  
You watch Loki put his spoon down. He looks around to make sure no one is watching and then waves his hand over the bowl. Little dark green sprinkles now covered the whipped cream.

"I knew it."

"Pardon?"

"You're the one," you explain, "the Midgardian clothes, how I fell asleep so quickly, the towel..." You blush as you mention the towel.

"You are correct."

"So you can do..."

"Yes." he says quickly.

"That is so cool!" you exclaim, a bit louder than you intended. You sink into your seat as you grab your fork and continue eating. You needed to get out of there soon. Those guys in suits were making you nervous. Loki was happily eating his pudding in silence.  
After several more minutes, you pay and make your way back to the motel, which is across the street. You climb up the stairs and go to reach for the motel key in your pocket, when Loki suddenly grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you against the door.

"What are you-?" you exclaim in surprise. He is extremely close to you.

"Shh," he says, covering your mouth with his hand, "I am improvising."  
You watch as he casually glances in the window directly next to you. You stand there, very still. You can feel him breathing on you.

"They followed us didn't they?" you ask as your heart races.

"Indeed." he replies, his eyes not leaving the window.

"I guess I should go pack then."


	5. Security Breach

You peer around Loki. The men in suits were keeping their distance...for now. You go to reach for the motel key but Loki beats you to it. His hand slips into your pants pocket and feels around. He grabs the key and sticks it in the door. You are very glad he isn't looking at you, because you are blushing. Once the door is open, you quickly back into the room. He closes the door and you immediately sprint to the bathroom to grab your things. You turn to run to your bag by the bed when you run into him instead.

"Ow!" you exclaim, almost dropping your items.

"There is no need to rush." he says calmly. Too calm in your opinion.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Trust me."  
You walk briskly to your bag, trying your best to not panic.

"What are we going to do about..." you glance over at the scepter. There was no way you were going to be able to smuggle that past them.

"Do not fret. I will take care of it."  
You watch as he waves his hand and the scepter shrinks to a smaller size. He slips it in his pocket. You finish packing and grab your car keys.

"Okay, I think that's everything. Ready?"

"Of course."  
You take a deep breath and step out the door. Luckily the car is close by. You have the urge to sprint to your car but you resist. You unlock the car and put your bag on the back seat. Loki opens the passenger door and straps himself in. You follow suit. You put the key in the ignition. You slowly back up, looking at men in rear view mirror. They are just standing there, staring. You pull out of the driveway and onto the road. Soon you are back on the freeway.

* * *

"We are pretty close to our destination." you say, looking at the map on your phone. "And we haven't been followed."  
It had been about 45 minutes since you had last seen the men in suits. You breathe a sigh of relief. Your phone instructs you get off at the next offramp. It was the most deserted offramp you had ever seen. There are no buildings around except for a run down gas station. You see a gray building in the distance. It stands alone. You pull the car over to the side of the road.

"That is it then?" he asks, looking out the window.

"It is," you reply. "Now, time for you to answer some of my questions."

"Fair enough."

"Who are those people that keep following us?"

"They are guarding the Tesseract."

"And what is this Tesseract?"

"Basically, it holds unlimited power."

"Huh. So, let me get this straight. You're just going to walk in there and take it and I'm suppose to wait here and watch the car?"

"Actually, I have an idea." he grins.

* * *

"I REALLY hate you right now." you mutter, pulling down on the hem of the black dress you were now wearing. The sun was beating down and the ground was dry and dusty.

"Should I conjure up something else?" he smirks as he looks you up and down.

"It's a bit short, wouldn't you say?" you do your best to walk without tripping in the red heels. "Also, these...shoes...are kind of inconvenient for walking in the desert..."

"It is a part of the plan, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Good luck."

"Thanks," you start to walk away and then look back, "at least one of us is enjoying themselves..."  
You couldn't believe that you were going along with this ridiculous plan. These people were probably government trained. They wouldn't be easily fooled by anyone, especially you. You continue walking for what seems like forever. you finally approach the door of the building. Two men in black suits and wearing dark sunglasses are standing there. You take a deep breath and proceed.

"Excuse me!" you call out to them in a distressed tone, "I seem to have gotten lost and my car has broken down. Can you help me?"  
They look at you and then each other. One of them whips out a cell phone.

"Don't worry ma'am." The man with the phone says, "we'll call someone to help you."

"Oh thank you so much." you reply, flipping your hair.  
You look around. Where was he? The man gets off his phone and walks back over to you.

"Someone will be here shortly."  
You suddenly hear the other man by the door cry out. You both turn to see Loki standing there holding the scepter, which was back in its original form. The man sees his comrade lying there on the ground, seemingly unconscious, and flips his phone open again. You swiftly kick him in the back of his knee, catching him off guard. You watch him fall to the ground. You place your foot on his hand and press down a little.

"Drop it!" you demand. He hesitates and you press harder. "I said drop it!"  
He lets the phone go and you kick it away. You look up and see that Loki has already entered the facility. You head for the entrance, leaving the man to catch his breath. You cautiously peer inside before entering. There isn't a soul in sight. You slowly walk down the corridor. You feel a hand grasp your arm as you are swiftly pulled aside.

"Let go of-" you start to struggle until you look up and see who it is. "Oh it's you..."

"We are close." Loki smiles. You hope he's right.  
He had changed back into what he had been wearing when you had first seen him.

"Hey, some tennis shoes would be really-" You are cut off by the sound of gunfire. Loki quickly pushes you ahead of him. "On second thought, a gun would be fantastic!"  
You run as fast as you can down the corridors. Everything is a grey blur. You dodge to avoid incoming bullets. Alarms are now sounding. You have no idea where you are going.

"This way!" Loki says as he grabs your wrist and pulls you down a different corridor.  
You slow to a walk as you approach a metal door.

"Is this it?" you ask, out of breath.

"I believe so." he pulls it open.  
You are anxious to see what is on the other side. You hoped that it wasn't more men with guns, but you knew it would be. Stepping through the door, you are amazed at how vast the room is. You see several people working away. They are all gathered around computers and other equipment scattered around the room. It looks like they are doing tests and diagnostics. You spot the glowing cube and nudge Loki. He nods. You both stand there silently. A tall man dressed in black turns to face you. He is wearing an eye patch.

"Who are you?" he yells, grabbing a gun from his coat and pointing it in your direction.  
You are terrified. Without moving a muscle, you glance over at Loki, who seems unperturbed. He has to have a plan...right?


	6. Escape

**AN: **A thousand apologies for taking SO LONG to update!**  
**

* * *

Loki slowly inches forward, still holding the scepter.

"Sir, please put down the spear!" the man with the gun yells.

Loki looks back at you and smirks. You step back, knowing what he is about to do. He turns back around, looks at the scepter and looks back at the man. Without warning he jabs the air, sending a bolt of blue light towards the man. The man and everyone standing near him are knocked to the ground. Some men on the other side of the room open fire. Loki leaps into the air and lands on one of the men, stabbing him in the chest. He then throws some small, silver daggers at the other men, injuring them. He continues to send bolts of energy towards his foes. You press your back against the cold wall as you watch Loki kick one of the men into the wall, knocking him unconscious. The room is now dark except for some flickering lights and sparks shooting from the equipment. Loki pauses, looking around at the damage he has caused. You stand there, stunned and yet exhilarated. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a man with short hair grab a gun and rise quickly. Loki quickly grabs the man's arm before he can shoot.

"You have heart." Loki says matter-of-factly as he presses the scepter to the man's chest. The scepter glows blue as it transfers energy into the man. His eyes turn an icy blue color. Loki grins and pulls the scepter away. He walks over to another man and does the same thing. The man with the eye patch slowly and quietly rises and puts the Tesseract into a metallic suitcase.

"Please don't," Loki turns to look at him. "I still need that."

"This doesn't have to get any messier." The man with the eye patch replies.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else." he takes a step closer. "I am Loki, of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

A shiver of excitement runs down your spine.

"Loki, brother of Thor!" a man in plaid suddenly cries out. You see Loki give him a look of disgust.

"We have no quarrel with your people." the man with the eye patch continues.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"Are you planning to step on us?"

"I come with glad tidings of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom," Loki states. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart," he suddenly turns to the man in plaid and places the scepter against his chest, "you will know peace."

"Yeah, you say 'peace', I kind of think you mean the other thing."

"Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us." The man with short hair says urgently. "He means to bury us."

"Like the pharaohs of old." The man with the eye patch, Director Fury, says coldly.

"Well then," Loki looks at the man with short hair. He in turn pulls a gun out of his coat and shoots Fury. As he falls to the ground, the man walks over and picks up the metallic suitcase. The four of them walk towards you. Loki's eyes lock with yours.

"It is ok." he says holding out his hand. You grasp it and he gently pulls you away from the wall. "Everything is under control now."  
The five of you continue on until you enter a parking structure.

"I need these vehicles!" The man with short hair shouts to a nearby female agent. You walk over to a nearby truck. Loki climbs into the bed of the truck while the others get into the front. After getting situated, he reaches out and helps you climb into the truck beside him.

"You are going to have to hang on tight." He warns you. You nod and grip the rails attached to the bed of the truck.

"Who's that?" the female agent asks warily, looking at Loki.

"They didn't tell me." The short haired man replies, walking around the front of the vehicle.

"HILL! Do you copy?!" Director Fury's voice says urgently over the walkie talkie, "Barton has turned!"

The short haired man, who's name was apparently Barton, pulled out his gun and started firing at Agent Hill. Hill rolls behind a wall to shield her self and returns fire. Barton then climbs into the driver's seat and peels out.

"She will probably follow us so you will need to lay low." Loki says, gently pushing down on your shoulders until you are lying down. The truck is cold against your skin. You look around and notice that you have nothing to hold on to.

"You could always give me a weapon you know." you mutter under your breath.

Gunfire suddenly erupts around you. Some of the shots are a bit too close for comfort. Loki grips the scepter tightly and sends a bolt of light at the car pursuing you. The car flips over and partially blocks the tunnel.

"That was far too easy." Barton yells back.

"Agent Hill should be along soon." Loki replies, looking around.

You hear a screech and feel the truck lurch forward.

"Oh there she is." You say, doing your best to brace yourself. There are more gunshots and the sound of breaking glass. You feel Barton step on the gas…or so you think. The tunnel starts to collapse behind you. You shield your eyes from the flying debris as the truck barely clears the last of the tunnel. A helicopter flies by as Barton drives onto a dusty road. Fury leans out of the helicopter and opens fire. Loki whips around and hits the helicopter dead on. It spins out of control and crashes into the ground. You hear more gunshots, which meant Fury must have leapt out before it had crashed. He runs after you, but he can't keep up.

You finally breathe a sigh of relief and prop yourself up on your elbows. Loki still looks tense and determined.

"Loki, relax." You reach out and touch his arm, "We are safe now."

He lays the scepter down and sits next to you.

"Thank you for your help." he grins.

"I could have helped more if I had a weapon, but you're welcome."

"You're never satisfied are you?"

"Sometimes." you smirk and quickly change the subject. "So, it's getting dark fast isn't it?"

The stars were already starting to come out. You couldn't have been driving for that long.

"We should arrive at the facility soon."

"In the meantime," you tug at his arm, "we can star gaze."

You lie back down and Loki lies down next to you. He silently stares up at the sky.

"Can you see Asgard from here?"

"Not at the moment. The rainbow bridge is…in a state of disrepair."

"That's a great name for a bridge." you laugh sarcastically.

"I did not name it." he replies solemnly.

"I was just kidding." you lean your head on his shoulder. "Hey, I see the big dipper!"

"What?" he asked, with a confused expression.

"The big dipper. Look." You connect the stars with your finger.

"Oh, I see."

The car unexpectedly hits a bump in the road and Loki grabs your arm to keep you from jostling around. You are glad it's dark or else he would see you blushing. As he continues to hold on to your arm, part of you wishes that the facility was farther away.


	7. The Tesseract

"Wow, this is quite the place" you say, looking around at the facility. It was like a smaller version of the facility you had been at several hours ago. Smooth, gray concrete walls surrounded you. Scientists and agents are working quickly and efficiently to replicate the equipment needed to stabilize the Tesseract. You lean on the table next to where the man in the plaid shirt, also known as Doctor Selvig, is working. You glance around and notice that Loki is nowhere to be found.

"Where's Loki?" you ask Doctor Selvig.

"He's over there." he gestures to a dark, secluded part of the room. You spot Loki sitting cross legged on the floor, holding the glowing scepter. He seemed to be in a meditative state.

"What is he doing?"

"Talking to the Chitauri probably."

"The Chitauri?"

"A race of aliens!" he exclaims excitedly. "He's probably receiving further instructions now that we have the Tesseract."

"What do the Chitauri want with the Tesseract?"  
Before he can answer, you hear Loki gasp in pain.

"Loki! What's wrong?!" you are kneeling at his side in an instant. His breathing is labored, like he had just sprinted across the room.

"I wish I could say that it was just a nightmare"

"Everything is ok now." you gently smooth his messy, black hair back into place.

"You are far too kind to me." he says in a melancholy tone.

"Why do you say that?" you stop smoothing his hair and look him in the eye.

"You have no idea what I have done…or what I have to do." He shifts his gaze to the floor.

"If you are talking about what happened at the facility…that was self defense. They would have injured or killed us." He sits there silently. You have so many questions burning inside you that you can't help but ask, "So, Thor is your brother?"

"He is not technically my brother." he states coldly, "He's my adoptive brother."

"You're adopted?"

"Yes." he sighs. "It is a long story."  
You decide to change the topic. You have no idea what the Chitauri said or did to him earlier, but you didn't want to further contribute to his emotional turmoil.

"So, why did you 'turn' all these people?"

"I needed help," he explains, "and most of them would not come willingly."

"I did."

"You are not like them."

"I hope you mean that in a good way." you smile.

"Of course." he smiles back.

"I'm not going to desert you." you place your hand on his, "I hope you know that." You stare at each other for a moment.

"I have to go check on Doctor Selvig and Barton," Loki says suddenly. "Time is growing short."  
He gets up and starts to walk over to where Doctor Selvig is working. You follow after him. Staying informed is vital.

"Where did you find all these people?" you hear Doctor Selvig ask.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has no shortage of enemies, Doctor." Barton replies, while typing on a handheld electronic device. "Is this the stuff you need?" He holds the device up to show the Doctor.

"Yeah, iridium. It's found in meteorites. It forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get a hold of."

"Especially if S.H.I.E.L.D. knows you need it."

"Well I didn't know!" Doctor Selvig holds out his arms in frustration. "Hey!" he exclaims as he notices you and Loki are nearby. "The Tesseract has shown me so much. It's more than knowledge. It's truth."

"I know." Loki replies. "What did it show you agent Barton?"

"My next target."

"Tell me what you need."

"I need a distraction," Barton walks over and grabs his bow off of a nearby table. "…and an eyeball."

"Splendid. That can be arranged. Do you need an eyeball in particular?"  
Barton holds up the device for him to see. You peer around Loki and see a picture of a man, apparently a scientist, and the word 'iridium'.

"Oooooh." Loki grins widely. "This should be fun."

"I'll get everything ready, Sir." Barton says before hurrying off.

"Have you ever been to Stuttgart?" Loki inquires as he turns to look at you.

"No, but I've always wanted to go there."

"Well," he smirks, "it is your lucky day."


	8. Stuttgart

You start to feel excited as the car comes to a stop in front of a beautiful building with ionic columns and giant arched windows. Loki opens your door and helps you out. Once you are out of the car, you glance over at him. He is wearing black dress pants, a white collared shirt, a black tie and a black, knee length suit jacket. Around his neck hangs a golden scarf with small geometric shapes and a large vertical green stripe. The golden fringe attached to either end swishes as he walks.

"That is a lovely scarf." you say, reaching over and feeling the soft material.

"It is almost as lovely as you." Loki leans down and whispers in your ear.

"Well," you can't help but grin and blush. "I do have an excellent tailor."  
You look down at the evening dress Loki conjured up for you. It is a bright, saturated green color that matches the green on his scarf. It is fitted and flows all the way down to the floor, complete with a sweetheart neckline. Loki places his hand on the middle part of your back where the straps of your dress come together and guides you through the crowd.

"Guten Abend." The greeter at the door says.  
Loki nods at the greeter as he offers you his arm. You slip your arm through his as you look around at the interior. It is just as magnificent as the exterior. There are more ionic columns and a giant restored statue of what looks like two bulls with a flat slab across their joined back. Everyone is mingling and laughing with each other. Violin music wafts through the air.

"Shall we have a look around upstairs?" Loki asks. You smile and nod.  
After climbing some stairs, and downing a glass of champagne, you lean back on the stone balcony as you admire a colorful mural. Meanwhile, Loki stands next to you, scanning the crowd below for the scientist. You hear a man start to give a speech.

"I believe I have spotted him."  
You turn around to see for yourself.

"That was easy." you smile, leaning against his shoulder.  
Loki transforms the scepter into a slender cane.

"Well, I have an eyeball to acquire."

"So soon?" you pout.

"I will be back as soon as possible."

"You better be." you wink and reach over to straighten his tie. "And please be careful."

"Of course." he smirks and swaggers off.  
You soon see him emerge between two columns looking determined. He flips the scepter and hits the guard right in the face, who in turn falls to the floor. Loki then grabs the scientist, drags him over to the statue slab and flips him over onto it. You are amazed how easy he makes it look. The crowd steps back as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a strange metallic device. He activates it by flicking his wrist and three prongs pop out. He pauses. The device suddenly starts to make a whirling sound and the prongs spin. Using one arm to hold the man down, he presses the device to the man's face with his other hand. The crowd gasps as the man flops around on the slab. Loki looks around, sees some of the people fleeing and smirks. You hurry down the same stairs and watch in awe as Loki transforms his clothes yet again. The outfit he is wearing is the same one he wore when you first met him except this time he is wearing a golden helmet with long, curved horns protruding from it. As you step outside, you hear sirens approaching. Loki takes out the police car with a single motion as he crosses the street.

"Kneel before me." he commands the crowd. They continue to panic. "I said, KNEEL!" he slams the bottom of the scepter on the ground which quiets the crowd. You look around and see that there are multiple copies of him. How are you suppose to know which is the real Loki? The crowd starts to drop to their knees. Loki grins at the sight of this.

"Is not this simpler?" he asks them as he starts to walk through the crowd. "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity." He continues walking. "You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."  
What is he talking about? This couldn't be a part of the plan could it?

A random man in the crowd stands up and says,  
"Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me."  
You smirk at his reply. There certainly aren't.

"There are always men like you."  
Boy is that guy wrong.

"Look to your elder, people." Loki extends the scepter and it starts to glow blue. "Let him be an example."  
Your jaw drops and you are about to yell at Loki to stop when a man suddenly appears with a giant round shield. He blocks the blow and Loki falters. The multiple copies of him vanish.

"You know the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."  
You crinkle your nose. Who was this guy in the patriotic outfit?

"The solider." Loki says as he uses the scepter to get back up. "The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."  
As he says that, an aircraft with a giant gun appears.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." a female voice commands.  
You start to panic. Loki sends a blue bolt of energy towards the aircraft as the man in red, white and blue throws his shield in the way. You reach under your dress and discreetly grab the gun that you have strapped to your leg. You look up and see him punch Loki in the face. Loki retaliates by swinging the scepter at him but he blocks the blow. He in turn throws the shield at Loki which he deflects with the scepter. The man then comes at him swinging. Loki knocks him down and forces him to his knees. He presses the bottom of the scepter to his head.

"Kneel."

"Not today!" he shouts flipping around and kicking Loki in the face. You rush over to them but Loki holds his hand up.

"Stay back!" he yells to you.  
Suddenly you hear rock music playing and a man in a red metal suit appears. He shoots a blast of energy at Loki, who is knocked onto his back

"Make your move, Reindeer Games." he says, ready to shoot again.  
Loki transforms again, getting rid of the scepter, cape and helmet.

"Good move." he retracts the devices on his suit as Loki sits up.

"Stark." The man with the shield says, turning to him.

"Captain." the man in the red metal suit replies.  
You take a deep breath and step between the two of them and Loki, pointing the gun in their direction.

"Oh look, you found a plaything." Stark says to Loki.

"I am NOT his _plaything_." You reply angrily, still pointing the gun at him.

"My mistake." he says sarcastically, "Now put the gun down. I don't like fighting girls."

"Do what he says." Loki mutters.

"But…" you whip around and look at him. You are shocked that he would give up so easily.

"Just do it." he locks eyes with you. "Please."  
You begrudgingly put the gun on the ground.

"That's better." Stark says as he walks towards you.  
He grabs a hold of your arm as 'Captain' grabs Loki's arm and pulls him up.

"If I may ask," Loki inquires, "where are you taking us?"

"It's a surprise." Stark replies as he leads you to the aircraft.


End file.
